Gangwon Province’s Hometown Love Donations Rise 25.8%; Province to Visit Capital Region Companies at Year-End

【Financial News, Chuncheon = Kim Gi-seop】Gangwon Province will visit large public institutions and companies in the Seoul metropolitan, Chungcheong and Honam regions by year-end to urge them to participate in the Hometown Love Donation Program.
According to Gangwon Province on the 3rd, as of October 31, donations raised by the province and its 18 cities and counties totaled 4.26 billion won, up 870 million won (25.8%) from 3.39 billion won in the same period last year. This was 18.8 percentage points higher than the nationwide average growth rate of 7% over the same period, and the province plans to carry this momentum into its year-end fundraising.
On-the-ground promotion is focused on expanding the province’s own fundraising. The province plans to visit public institutions and companies in other regions to introduce the program and its thank-you gifts, and to visit associations of Gangwon residents living outside the province to encourage participation by those who have left their hometowns. Public institutions and companies in the province, including the provincial government, will support fundraising outreach by the cities and counties.
The province will also step up online promotion. It will team up with a broadcaster to produce YouTube promotional content showcasing distinctive thank-you gifts unique to Gangwon Province, and will focus on informing office workers preparing for year-end tax settlement about the tax-credit benefits.
A special event will also be held for two days, on the 5th and 6th. During this period, all residents from outside the province who donate at least 100,000 won to Gangwon Provincial Office will receive an additional coffee coupon worth 20,000 won, on top of the existing thank-you gifts. Each person can receive a coupon only once.
Introduced in 2023, the Hometown Love Donation Program allows people to donate to a local government other than the one where they are registered as residents and receive a tax credit along with local thank-you gifts worth up to 30% of the donation. Donations of up to 100,000 won qualify for a full tax credit.
Kim Dong-jun, Gangwon Province’s director of policy on responding to regional depopulation, said, “The sharp increase, far above the national average, reflects the collective support of people who care about Gangwon Province. By the end of the year, we will meet in person with institutions and companies in other regions and with Gangwon residents living outside the province, while also publicizing the tax-credit and thank-you gift benefits online, so that more people can help their hometowns.” He added, “We will ensure that all the donations collected are used for projects that improve residents’ quality of life and bring vitality to the region.”
[email protected] Kim Gi-seop Reporter